Welfare Reform on the Web (October 2008): Homelessness - UK

Barriers and contradictions in the resettlement of single homeless people

J. Harding and A. Willett

Social Policy and Society, vol. 7, 2008, p. 433-444

Research in one local authority area suggests that the government's drive to resettle single homeless people may not be producing the desired results due to inflexibility over permitted length of stays in temporary accommodation and a failure to adequately fund follow-up support. However, a more fundamental difficulty appears to reside in the contradictions in social policies, which mean that social landlords face pressures to be cost effective and to prioritise the needs of the community, while also being expected to re-house homeless people who present risks in terms of rent payment and tenancy management. To deal with this contradiction, the government must restate that the primary purpose of social landlords is to meet housing need and that pursuing other social policy goals does not justify failure to achieve this purpose.

Health and homelessness: a whole-systems approach

S. Read

Housing, Care and Support, vol. 11, July 2008, p. 7-10

People who are homeless often have multiple, complex health needs and face barriers to accessing care. Health services need to be adapted to ensure that they receive appropriate care in a cost-effective way. Heath services also need to work with housing, social and employment services to provide holistic, integrated care. This can be achieved by modifying existing care pathways, by provision of specialist services or both. The undertaking of joint strategic needs assessments offers an opportunity to influence commissioners to ensure that the needs of homeless people are included in future care and support developments.

Out of sight .

Anon.

Roof, Sept./Oct 2008, p. 17

Argues that the apparent reduction in rough sleeping in England is illusory. Rough sleepers have been swept off the streets by outreach teams and are now hiding in bin sheds on council estates.